Checking device for harness.



No. 708.906. Patented Sept. 9, 1902.

- H. n. MCKINNEY.

CHECKING DEVICE FOR HARNESS.

[Application filed Apr. 30, 1961.

(No Model.)

NITED STATES ATENT OFFICE HENRY D. MCKINNEY, OF JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN.

CHECKING DEVICE FOR HARNESS:

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 708,906, dated September 9, 1902.

Application filed April 30, 1901. Serial No. 58,174. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY D. MCKINNEY, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Jan esville, in the county of Rock and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Checking Devices for Harness,

, of which the following is a specification.

} gaging the hook and normally disposed .un-

der the shoulder, so that said shoulder serves as a stop to prevent the accidental displacement of the loop to which the checkrein is connected as said rein moves forward and backward or laterally. The hook may be of the usual construction, while the loop specified consists, preferably, of a flat frame engaging the hook and having a resilient tongue,

the free end of which, is adapted to abut against the forward surface of the hook, and said loop may be made of sheet metal, soleleather, or any other suitable material, and for cheapness, strength, and simplicity I prefer to form the said resilient tongue in one piece with the body of the loop.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which,with the figures of reference marked thereon, form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of a checking device including my present improvements and showing the manner of using the same. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. a perspective view of lhe loop detached from thehook and rein.

Like characters refer to like parts in all the figures of the drawings. Referring now to the drawings, the numeral o'designates a saddle of known construction, and (5 the checkrein-hook, the latter being upwardly and rearwardly curved from a base or body 5, which is horizontally disposed and sustained upon the saddle and is held thereon by a rivet, as 7, although it is evident that other means may be employed for securing the same in place. The hook 6 has on the rear side of its bight a shoulder or projection 8, shown as formed integral there- With, although this is not essential, and the under face of this shoulder is represented as being straight, and said shoulder serves to retain the checkrein-loop in place against accidental displacement, which might be caused by the horse suddenly throwing his head either forward, backward, or sidewise. The checkrein loop, which embraces and freely turns on the hook, is denoted in a general Way by 9, and it may be formed of sheet metal, sole-leather, or any other desirable material, and it has preferably integral therewith a resilient tongue, hereinafter described, which is adapted to frictionally engage the forward side of the hook 6 and prevent the withdrawal of the loop and consequent unchecking of the horse upon the usual motions of the checkrein as the horse jerks his head. The loop 9 consists of a substantially rectangular fiat frame having at one end a transverse slot 10, to which the checkrein may be connected, so that the loop forms in effect a permanent part of the said rein. The loop 9 has an enlarged elongated slot 12, in which the resilient tongue 13 lies, said tongue extending rearwardly from the cross-piece 14: of the loop and being normally in line with the body of the loop. The free end of the tongue and the rear wall of the slot bear against the hook, and such bearing portions are rounded to agree with the cross-sectional curvature of said hook, whereby the loop as a whole can readily turn upon said hook. As the free end of the spring-tongue bears against the forward side of the checkrein-hook and as the loop is underneath the shoulder 8 said spring-tongue will prevent the retractive motion of the loop sufficiently as to carry the rear wall of the slot 12 clear of the shoulder 8 as the loop oscillateswith the checkrein. To disconnect the shoulder 8. When this is done, the loop can be readily withdrawn. To apply the loop, it must be slipped on the hook and along the same until the shoulder 8 is reached, and continuing the motion downward the tongue will be slightly elevated until the loop is under the shoulder, at which time the said tongue will at once spring into a position in line with the remainder of the loop and into engagement with the hook. To facilitate the upward motion of the tongue in the manner just indicated, the outer surface of the shoulder is inclined.

Having described the invention, I claim- In a checking device, a rounded hook having a shoulder near its base on the inner side thereof combined with a loop detachably engaging the hook and arranged to normally lie under said shoulder, and the loop having a slot and a spring-tongue inside said slot, the. rear wall of the slot being rounded and the free end of the tongue being correspondingly rounded and. such rounded portions being contiguous to and of a curvature corresponding with said hook below said shoulder, and the loop consisting of sheet metal in one piece and lying in a single plane.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

HENRY D. MCKINNEY.

Witnesses:

H. D. MURDOCK, A. E. BINGHAM. 

